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Foreigners face £200 NHS fee

Non-EU nationals staying in England for more than six months could be charged £200 a year for non-emergency NHS treatment. The Health Secretary has sought to calm GPs' concerns by insisting that doctors would not have to act as "border officers".

Hunt: 'We must protect the NHS from costly abuse'

Jeremy Hunt has said that he would like to see a coordinated approach to protecting the NHS from "costly abuse".

Discussing health reforms, due to be formally announced on Wednesday, Mr Hunt said: "No one expects health workers to become immigration guards and we want to work alongside doctors to bring about improvements, but I'm clear we must all work together to protect the NHS from costly abuse.

"We want a system that is fair for the British taxpayer by ensuring that foreign nationals pay for their NHS treatment.

"By looking at the scale of the problem and at where and how improvements can be made we will help ensure the NHS remains sustainable for many years to come."